Not gonna lie, when we were just starting out with our cooking journey, Kare-Kare is one of the dishes that used to intimidate us. Many times have we heard how laborious the process of cooking Kare-Kare is. However, all the efforts put into making it is definitely worth it as it is one of the firsts to be gone during get-togethers. Surely, we have always seen Kare-Kare as something special that is only reserved for special occasions, but that has changed ever since we learned our way in the kitchen.
We are not denying that Kare-Kare requires work – from tenderizing the meat to grinding and making that oh-so-delicious peanut sauce – but do know that you could absolutely have it whenever, regardless if you have something to celebrate about or you just feel like having it. Indeed, Kare-Kare is a timeless dish that can be eaten on a regular day that would soon turn into a special one all thanks to it. Kare-Kare is just that kind of dish, you know? The kind that turns another meh Monday into a wow Monday, that’s what it is!
Moreover, Kare-Kare is usually of ox tail, ox tripe, ox skin, and/or pork leg, hence preparing this dish is certainly no joke; in fact, it is no easy feat, so to say. That said, we have found rather another great alternative protein that can be used in Kare-Kare, and that is none other than Pork Shank – which is pig’s leg or better known here in the Philippines as pata.
Pata is a widely used pork cut in many Filipino dishes and so we thought of using it for Kare-Kare as well which spoiler alert: was a good call! Our Kare-Kareng Pata was no doubt a success as we got ourselves full and satisfied by the end of this all.
Moreover, we made sure to make our pata soft and tender because we want to totally enjoy every bite and every mouthful of this. Plus, we also made sure to use fresh greens in order to balance that tenderness with some crunch from time to time. Alongside all that, we did not forget to make our peanut sauce as flavorful as it can be, as we also got ourselves some bagoong on the side since it is no secret that Kare-Kare and bagoong goes well hand in hand.
And so, if you are still practicing your kitchen skills, we just want to tell you that you need not to be intimidated with Kare-Kare because we got you! Our Kare-Kareng Pata recipe is something that you could easily follow like 1, 2, and 3!
AuthorwhattoeatphIngredients:
1 kg pork shank
¼ kg pechay
1 bundle of string beans
2 eggplants
1 onion
8 garlic cloves
¼ cup shrimp paste
½ cup peanut butter
crushed peanuts
1 banana blossom
2 tbsp cornstarch
½ tbsp salt
½ tsp ground black pepper
1 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp annatto
4 cups water
Directions:
1
Slice garlic and onion into tiny pieces. Place them in a pressure cooker or a regular cooking pot and then saute them.
2
Add pork shanks, fish sauce, and ground black pepper. Cook pork shanks until slightly brown.
3
Add water and then close the pressure cooker with its lid. Let it tenderize the pork shank.
4
Slice the string beans, banana blossom, eggplant, and pechay. Set aside.
5
Cook both sides of the sliced eggplants until slightly brown. Set aside.
6
Blanche pechay for 30 to 45 seconds; and then blanche string beans from 60 to 75 seconds. Set aside.
7
Boil banana blossom until slightly soft. Set aside.
8
Soak annatto seeds in a small bowl filled with water and then add that water into the pressure cooker once the pork shanks are tender.
9
Add salt, shrimp paste, peanut butter, and crushed peanuts into the pressure cooker. Mix them altogether and then let it simmer until sauce thickens.
10
Add flour slurry, which is a mixture made up of cornstarch and cold water, into the pressure cooker. Mix it altogether and then let it simmer for a while again.
11
Place the string beans, eggplants, pechay, and banana blossom that you have set aside in a bowl or a plate. Add the pork shanks and sauce to that bowl or plate. Serve the Kare-Kareng Pata.
Ingredients
Ingredients:
1 kg pork shank
¼ kg pechay
1 bundle of string beans
2 eggplants
1 onion
8 garlic cloves
¼ cup shrimp paste
½ cup peanut butter
crushed peanuts
1 banana blossom
2 tbsp cornstarch
½ tbsp salt
½ tsp ground black pepper
1 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp annatto
4 cups water
Directions
Directions:
1
Slice garlic and onion into tiny pieces. Place them in a pressure cooker or a regular cooking pot and then saute them.
2
Add pork shanks, fish sauce, and ground black pepper. Cook pork shanks until slightly brown.
3
Add water and then close the pressure cooker with its lid. Let it tenderize the pork shank.
4
Slice the string beans, banana blossom, eggplant, and pechay. Set aside.
5
Cook both sides of the sliced eggplants until slightly brown. Set aside.
6
Blanche pechay for 30 to 45 seconds; and then blanche string beans from 60 to 75 seconds. Set aside.
7
Boil banana blossom until slightly soft. Set aside.
8
Soak annatto seeds in a small bowl filled with water and then add that water into the pressure cooker once the pork shanks are tender.
9
Add salt, shrimp paste, peanut butter, and crushed peanuts into the pressure cooker. Mix them altogether and then let it simmer until sauce thickens.
10
Add flour slurry, which is a mixture made up of cornstarch and cold water, into the pressure cooker. Mix it altogether and then let it simmer for a while again.
11
Place the string beans, eggplants, pechay, and banana blossom that you have set aside in a bowl or a plate. Add the pork shanks and sauce to that bowl or plate. Serve the Kare-Kareng Pata.
Kare-Kareng Pata Recipe
IngredientsDirections
